On January 6, 2025, the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine (BORIM) published its first update on the recent Massachusetts law creating a new licensing pathway for internationally trained and licensed physicians. In this update, BORIM identifies the activities that must be completed before the licensing pathway is open to physicians and provides details on physician eligibility for the program.
To be eligible, a physician must have:
- An M.D. or equivalent degree from a legally chartered medical school outside the United States that is recognized by the World Health Organization.
- At least one year of practice of medicine in another country pursuant to a license or authorization to practice.
- A valid certificate issued by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
- Proof of a passing score on Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge of the United States Medical Licensing Examination.
- An agreement with a participating healthcare facility to work at the facility full-time and to participate in assessment.
The participating healthcare facility must be in a “physician shortage area,” as defined by BORIM in consultation with the DPH healthcare workforce center. BORIM has not yet issued its definition of a physician shortage area.
The participating healthcare facilities must establish a program to “develop, assess, and evaluate the applicant’s familiarity with nonclinical skills and standards appropriate for medical practice in the Commonwealth according to assessment and evaluation criteria developed or approved by BORIM.” Facilities will need to submit their assessment program to BORIM for approval.
BORIM will make limited license applications available after participating healthcare facilities have established assessment programs. Once the program is established, eligible physicians and their participating healthcare facility must enter into an agreement that the physician will work full time at the participating healthcare facility and participate in the assessment program.
BORIM will continue to provide updates on the status of this licensing pathway, and we will continue to provide updates when they are available.
Contact us
If you have questions regarding BORIM’s guidance or the new licensing pathway created via Section 226 of the Mass Leads Act, please contact Crystal Bloom, Rebecca Rodman, or your Husch Blackwell attorney.